Adjustable support for incandescent electric lights



(No Modei.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. A. OARMANY.

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR INGANDESCBNT ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

No. 586,378. Patented July 13,1897.

awuewbo'o (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. A. GARMANY. ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR INGANDESOENT ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

No. 586,378. Patented July 13,1897.

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CHARLES A. CARMANY, OF EPIIRATA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR INCANDESCENT ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 586,378, dated July 13, 1897.

Application filed March 22, 1897. Serial No. 628,766. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. CARMANY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ephrata, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Supports for Incandescent Electric Lights; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a support for incandescent electric lights, and the object is to provide a simple, convenient, and reliable support for adjustably suspending the light from the ceiling of an apartment; and to this end the novelty consists in the construction, combination, an d arrangement of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and

particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the same referenee-characters indicate the same parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved electric-light support as it appears fixed to the ceiling. Fig. 2 is a similar View with the canopy removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2 and showing the concealed wire connections. Fig. 5 is a similar view with the side plate re moved. Fig. 6 is a plan view. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the broken line a a of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a similar viewon the broken line Z) I) of Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is a perspective detail, partly in section, of the duplex conductingtape.

1 represents the non-conductin g base,which is secured to the ceiling by the screws 2 2. The flange 3 of said base is recessed at opposite ends to receive the projecting ends of the conductor-plates 4 5, which are formed with an integral contact-point 6 and a parallel arm 7, in which is secured a set-screw 8 for connecting the leading-in wires 9 and 10.

12 and 13 represent parallel plate-standards formed with right angular flanges 12 13, which are fixed to the base by screws 14 14, and each flange is formed with an extensionear 15, provided with a screw 16, which secures one end of the fuse-eonductor 17 the opposite end of which is in electrical connection with the inner ends of the conductorplates 4 5 by a screw 18.

19 represents a non-conducting drum, to the parallel ends of which are secured the metallic disks 2O 21 by countersunk headscrews 22. This drum is formed with a central cylindrical orifice 23, which receives the contiguous circular heads 24 of the shafts 25 26, journaled in lateral sleeves 27 2S, fixed on the disks 21. i

29 represents an insulating or noncoudueting disk located between the contiguous faces of the circular heads 24 of the shafts 26. These shafts are provided with transverse orifices 30 30.

31 31 represent radial alined recesses in the drum 19, so that the contiguous ends 33 of the duplex conducting-tape 34 may be inserted through the recesses 31 in the drum and into the orifices 30 in the shafts 25 26 and by means of a screw-d river applied to the slots 35 in the outer ends of the shafts to coil the ends of the conductor-wires 33 around said shafts and make a permanent contact at this point, the circuit being continued to the standards 12 12:3 through the sleeves 27 2S, thence to their respective conductor-plates 4 5 and to the leading-in wires, as above described.

The inner end of the spiral spring 36 is fixed to a radial lug 37 on the stationarysleeve 38 on the standard 12, which also forms a bearing for the sleeve-journal 27 of the disk 20, and the outer end of this spring 36 is fixed to one of an annular series of studs 37, arranged concentrically on said disk, and which also form the barrel or case for said spring to expand in.

The sleeve 28 on the disk 21 has a bearing in the stationary sleeve 39 on the standard 13, and the periphery of said stationary sleeve 39 forms a bearing for a lever 40, fulcrumed thereon, and the free end of said lever 40 terminates in an obtuse-angular pawl 41, having two plane bearing-faces 42 and 43, the face 42 being closer to and extending in a radial line from the fulcrum-point of said lever, while the face 43 is further removed from the fulcrum-point and extends at a tangent thereto.

44 represents a star-wheel journaled on a fixed stud 45 on the inside of the standard 13, the contiguous faces of any two adjoining teeth of which-engage the faces l2 and a3 of the pawl l1, while the corresponding teeth on the opposite edge of said star-wheel project into the path of a lateral-projecting stud to on the disk 21, which coming in contact with said star-wheel will ordinarily stop the rotation of said disk, owing to the pressure exerted on the star-wheel by the pawl t1 of the lever l0. This combination of parts is peculiar and novel, inasmuch as the action thereof admits the adjustment of different-weight lamps with or without shades to any desired height, and at the same time when the drum is allowed to rotate rapidly the stud to coming into contact from either direction with any one tooth of star-wheel lt said contact causes no apparent interference with the rotation of the drum, but when slowly operated the contact causes the lamp to be held at any desired height, no matter if the weight of the lamp be greater than the tension of spiral spring 36 or the tension of said spring be greater than the weight of the lamp. The pressure of the lever on said star-wheel is adjusted or regulated by a spring 4-7, loosely coiled about the sleeve 39, and having one of its ends formed with a stirrup 48, which ongages a notch l9 in the outer end of the lever t0, to hold its opposite pawl in engagement with the star-wheel, while the other projecting end of said spring is adjustably secured in one of a series of rack-teeth 50, formed in the standard 1 3. A loose washer is also mounted on the sleeve 28 between the coil of the spring and the contiguous face of the rotatiug disk to prevent the latter wearing the spring.

The conducting-tape 3tis of novel construction, comprising the two parallel woven conductors 323 33, suitably insulated, and the series of flexible non-conducting cords 51 51, arranged parallel with said conductors and in the same plane between them, the whole being bound together by atransversely-interwoven strand 52 of any suitable fabric, such as silk, linen, or the like, as shown. This construction forms a very compact, durable, and effective conducting-tape, while the ilat shape of the tape facilitates its winding and unwinding on the drum and at the same time prevents the formation of kinks, so common to circular conductors. The fastening of the conductors can be done more quickly and permanently on account of their being woven, and, besides, this form of construction prevents the presence of stray wires, which often cause a short circuit. After the contiguous ends 33 of said tape are secured to the condnoting-shafts 25 and 26 the body porl tion of the tape proper is coiled once around the drum and under a lateral guard 53, formed integral with and projecting inwardly from the disk 20, and which acts as a stop to prevent the tape being drawn entirely off the drum.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the several elements of my invention, 1 do not desire to be confined to the same, as Such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A device for adj ustably supporting incandescent electric lights,comprisingthe nonconducting base, the parallel standards socured thereto, a non-conducting drum, conducting-disks fixed on the outer ends of said drum and journaled in said standards, a transversely-divided cylindrical shaft mounted in said drum and having the contiguous ends insulated from each other by a nonconducting disk, a spiral springhaving itsinner end llXOd to one of said standards and its outer end connected to one of said disks, in combination with a duplex flexible conducting-tape having the contiguous ends of its conductors electrically connected to the insulated sections of said divided shaft, and adapted to be wound on said drum in the contrary direction to the spiral spring as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A device of the eharacterdescribed, comprising the parallel standards, the drum, the disks secured to said drum and journaled in said standards, the shafts 25 26, mounted transversely in said drum and separated by a non-conducting disk 2.), the spiral spring connected to one of said disks and its contiguous standard and adapted to rotate said drum and disks in a. reverse direction to that from which it is wound, in combination with the star-wheel journaled on the standard 13, a lever l0, having an obtuse-angled pawl ll engaging said star-wheel, a spring l7 adapted to regulate the pressure of said pawl on the star-wheel and a projecting stud l on the face of the rotating disk 21, adapted to engage said star-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto al'llx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. (ARMANXY \Vitnesses:

llnlvnv S. Rovnn, J. 1i. Fnv.

IIC 

